Bagging apparatus particularly for granular and/or powdery products

ABSTRACT

A bagging apparatus, particularly for granular and/or powdery products, of the type adapted to vacuum-package granular and/or powdery products in bags, comprising at least one compaction chamber for the bag, in which at least one of the walls is movable and is adapted to apply a pressure to a surface of the bag, so as to expel therefrom the contained air and/or gases and compact the product, and at least one bell, which is provided with at least one filter probe, which is connected to air and/or gas suction elements and is adapted to produce vacuum inside the bag, the bell being associated with elements for bidirectional translational motion from an inactive retracted position to a suction position, in which the bell is at least partially inserted in a mouth of the bag so as to adhere perimetrically to an internal surface of the bag, elements being further provided for heat-sealing the mouth in the portion arranged in contact with the bell, the sealing elements being adapted to provide a final closure of the mouth of the bag along the internal surface thereof, which has remained unsoiled by the product.

The present invention relates to a bagging apparatus particularly for granular and/or powdery products and the like. The apparatus is suitable to remove air and/or gas present inside a bag filled with granular and/or powdery product and heat-seal it without the bag reacquiring air or gas from the outside, so as to obtain a vacuum which is adjustable according to the requirements of the product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Equipment and machines that provide vacuum packaging of products of various kinds in the form of granules and powders are known and widespread in the industrial field. Packaging usually occurs in bags made of an appropriately selected material, for example laminated polythene or other materials having similar characteristics; these bags are filled completely and closed at the top after vacuum has been produced inside them, so as to minimize space occupation and preserve the characteristics of the product. These bags can attain even substantial dimensions and weights, and therefore their storage is often problematic.

Some known apparatuses insert each bag to be filled in suitable chambers from which air is aspirated; as an alternative, air is also aspirated from the inside of the bag through filtering probes, which are extracted from said bag. However, it is noted that currently this type of apparatus, as well as other types of apparatus currently in use, have objective limitations related first of all to production rates, which with current methods for producing vacuum in the bags have certainly become too slow in relation to market requirements.

Secondly, the apparatuses currently in use tend to leave inside the filled bags holes or labyrinths, which even if they are very small cause the loss of the air and of part of a product and further leave inside the bags an amount of air which is often not tolerable and causes product deterioration. In bags filled without holes or labyrinths, the apparatuses currently in use leave inside such bags an amount of air and/or gas that does not allow to palletize them and causes the deterioration of the product inside.

Thirdly, the shape, geometry and dimensions of the bags currently used is usually irregular, and this entails that their storage and transport are rather problematic and unsafe.

Fourthly, finally, with the apparatuses currently in use the bags, made of polythene (or other similar material), are heat-sealed at the top, after filling and vacuum generation, at a portion of the bag that has been soiled by the product during filling and vacuum production: accordingly, the quality of such heat-seal is certainly not ideal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to obviate the drawbacks noted above, by providing a bagging apparatus that allows to vacuum-package products in bags, even large ones, efficiently and at production rates that are distinctly higher than those that can be achieved currently with known types of apparatus.

Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a bagging apparatus that is suitable to package products safely and effectively, without leaving microcracks in the bags or air inside them in an unwanted amount.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum bagging apparatus that is suitable to package the products in bags having standardized and uniform sizes, which as such are easy to store and transport.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bagging apparatus with a structure that is simple, relatively easy to provide in practice, safe in use, effective in operation, and has a relatively low cost.

This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by the present bagging apparatus, particularly for granular and powdery products, of the type adapted to vacuum-package granular and/or powdery products in bags, characterized in that it comprises at least one bag compaction chamber, in which at least one of the walls is movable and is adapted to apply a given pressure to a surface of the bag, so as to expel therefrom contained air and/or gases and compact the product, and at least one bell, which is provided with at least one filter probe, which is connected to air and/or gas suction means and is adapted to produce vacuum inside the bag, said bell being associated with means for bidirectional translational motion from an inactive retracted position to a suction position, in which it is at least partially inserted in a mouth of the bag so as to adhere perimetrically to its internal surface, means being further provided for heat-sealing the mouth in the portion arranged in contact with said bell, said means being adapted to provide final closure of the mouth of the bag along the internal surface, which has remained unsoiled by the product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a bagging apparatus, particularly for granular and/or powdery products according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional schematic front view of the apparatus according to the invention in a first step of operation;

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional schematic front view of the apparatus in a second step of operation;

FIG. 3 is a partially sectional schematic top view of the apparatus in a second step of operation;

FIG. 4 is a partially sectional schematic front view of a third step of the operation of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a partially sectional schematic top view of the apparatus in a third step of operation;

FIG. 6 is a schematic and partially sectional front view of the apparatus in a fourth step of operation;

FIG. 7 is a schematic and partially sectional front view of the apparatus in a fifth step of operation.

In the exemplary embodiment that follows, individual characteristics may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other exemplary embodiments.

Moreover, it is noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 1 generally designated a bagging apparatus particularly for granular and/or powdery products according to the invention.

The bagging apparatus, described hereinafter in a possible non-exclusive embodiment thereof, is in particular of the type suitable to vacuum-package granular and/or powdery products in bags of the type with an open mouth or of the type formed continuously from a reel, generally designated by the reference numeral 2, the mouth of which is designated by the reference numeral 2 a. Such bags are preferably made of a material such as laminated polythene or the like, but actually can be made of any material that has suitable physical and/or mechanical characteristics. Moreover, it is noted that the bags can have any geometry or size, which are chosen in each instance in relation to the type of product to be packaged, to the storage conditions, to the methods of transport, and others.

The vacuum bagging apparatus 1 described hereinafter has a sturdy footing, provided with dimensions which are suitable for the maximum dimensions of the bags 2 to be filled. The footing of the apparatus is not shown for the sake of simplicity and clarity in the accompanying drawings, but it is of a substantially traditional type.

According to the invention, the apparatus comprises advantageously at least one bag compaction chamber, generally designated by the reference numeral 3, in which at least one of the walls is movable and is suitable to apply an appropriate pressure to the outer surface 4 of the bag 2, so as to expel the air contained therein and compact the product in an optimum manner; the apparatus further comprises conveniently at least one bell 5, which is provided with at least one filter probe 6 which is connected to means for aspirating air and/or gases, not shown in the figures, and is suitable to produce vacuum inside the bag 2. The bell 5 is in fact associated conveniently with means for bidirectional translational motion, not shown in the figures but of a substantially known type, from an inactive retracted position (FIG. 1) to a suction position, in which it is at least partially inserted within the mouth 2 a of the bag 2 so as to adhere perimetrically to its internal surface 7.

The apparatus 1 further advantageously comprises means, generally designated by the reference numeral 8, for heat-sealing the mouth 2 a in the portion thereof that is arranged in contact with the bell 5: the heat-sealing means 8 are suitable to produce the final closure of the mouth 2 a of the bag 2 along its internal surface 7, which conveniently has remained unsoiled by the powdery and/or granular product, since it has been placed in contact with the external surface 9 of the bell 5. The apparatus in fact comprises, for this purpose, clamping means, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, which are suitable to make the mouth 2 a of the bag 2 adhere hermetically to the outer surface 9 of the bell 5, so as to prevent the seepage of air from the outside during the production of the vacuum and/or the escape of the product.

The apparatus according to the invention further comprises conveniently elements, generally designated by the reference numeral 11, for temporarily closing the bag 2 substantially at the base of the mouth 2 a: the temporary closure elements 11 are suitable to clamp the walls of the bag 2 a against each other and thus prevent the inflow of air into the already-filled bag and the escape of the product during the final heat-sealing step.

The bell 5 is positioned advantageously at the top of the compaction chamber 3 and is actuated so as to perform a bidirectional translational motion, first downward and then upward, at each packaging cycle, along a substantially vertical direction. As an alternative, the bell 5 can be stationary and the bag can rise vertically, but substantially the operating cycle does not change. The filter probe 6 is in turn fitted inside the bell 5 and is actuated by respective translational motion elements (not shown for the sake of simplicity, but of a substantially known and traditional type) from an inactive retracted upper position to a position which protrudes downward and in which the probe 6, with the bell 5 inserted in the mouth 2 a of the bag 2, is substantially in contact with the product contained in the bag, so as to remove the air included in the product in an amount that depends on the type of the product.

In greater detail, the compaction chamber 3 comprises at least five substantially flat walls, at least one of which is movable: a first side wall 12 and a second side wall 13, which are mutually parallel and flat, a third bottom wall 14, which is substantially perpendicular to the first and second walls, a fourth upper wall 14 a and a fifth upper wall 14 b, which are contoured and perpendicular with respect to the side walls 12 and 13 and are flat and parallel with respect to the bottom wall 14. The first wall 12, the second wall 13, the third wall 14, the fourth wall 14 a and the fifth wall 14 b are associated with respective actuation means, for example of the electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic type, or even of another type, which allow to apply to the bag 2 the suitable pressure, such as to compact the product and at the same time cause the rapid exit of the air included in the product.

Advantageously, the first wall 12, the second movable wall 13 and the third movable wall 14 are associated with means for generating a vibration of predefined frequency and amplitude, so as to facilitate the compaction of the product inside the bag 2 and cause the air to exit. The vibration generation means, not shown for the sake of simplicity in the figures, may be of a substantially known and traditional type.

The heat-sealing means 8 suitable to seal each filled bag 2 comprise advantageously at least one pair of heat-sealing heads 15, which are mutually opposite and are associated with respective actuation elements; each head is actuated so as to perform a translational motion, substantially at right angles to the bell 5, from a respective inactive retracted position to a respective protruding position, in which they are pressed against the external surface of the mouth 2 a of the bag 2, for a suitable time interval and at a suitable temperature, so as to produce the hermetic closure of the bag 2.

The clamping means 10 conveniently comprise at least one pair of mutually opposite jaws 16, which are associated with respective actuation elements and are each actuated so as to perform a translational motion, in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the bell 5, from a respective inactive retracted position to a respective protruding position, in which each presses the internal surface 7 of the mouth 2 a of the bag 2 against the external surface 9 of the bell 5.

The temporary closure elements 11 advantageously comprise a first male element 17 and a second female element 18, which are mutually opposite and are associated with respective actuation elements, not shown in the figures, each of which is actuated so as to perform a translational motion, substantially at right angles to the bell 5, from a respective inactive retracted position to a respective protruding position, in which they are engaged within each other, so as to clamp the base of the mouth 2 a of the bag 2, so as to prevent the escape of the product and the inflow of air during the step for final hermetic sealing of the bag.

The operation of the vacuum bagging apparatus is as follows.

First of all, the bag 2 is filled with the granular and/or powdery products to be packaged, subsequently positioning it in the compaction chamber 3 (FIG. 1); filling is performed preferably from above by means of a feeder of the generally known type. Filling can occur advantageously in successive steps, i.e., in several periods separated by air suction steps.

Subsequently, once filling has been completed and after removing a first amount of air, the bell 5 is inserted in the mouth 2 a of the bag 2, moving it downward by an extent of preset length; the jaws 16 are then clamped, moving the internal surface 7 of the mouth 2 a so that it adheres hermetically against the external surface 9 of the bell 5, preventing the seepage of air and the escape of the product (FIG. 2).

At this point, the fourth wall 14 a and the fifth wall 14 b and then the first wall 12, the second wall 13 and the third wall 14 are actuated, together with the vibration generation means, so as to achieve the optimum compaction of the product inside the bag and the escape of the air included within said product. The filter probe 6, in this step, is in contact with the product: by actuating the air suction means, said air is removed completely from the inside of the bag, providing the required condition of vacuum packaging, which is adjustable according to the requirements of the product (FIG. 4).

After the filter probe 6 has risen, the first male element 17 and the second female element 18 are actuated so as to perform a translational motion toward each other at right angles to the mouth 2 a of the bag 2, so as to close temporarily and hermetically the compacted bag at the base of the mouth 2 a (FIG. 6). The jaws 16 are then released from the mouth 2 a of the bag, and the bell 5 is extracted completely (FIG. 7).

Finally, the heat-sealing heads 15 are actuated so as to close hermetically and permanently the bag 2 in vacuum, the first male element 17 and the second female element 18 are released, and all the walls 12, 13, 14, 14 a, 14 b are reopened, so as to be able to remove the bag 2 from the compaction chamber 3.

Once packaging and hermetic closure have been completed, the bag 2 has two flat and parallel regular lateral faces and two top and bottom faces, which are perpendicular to the lateral faces. The bag 2 advantageously has dimensions which are predefined with narrow tolerances (in particular as regards width and height) and is conveniently suitable to be stored and palletized with minimal space occupation and maximum stability and safety.

It has thus been shown that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects.

The apparatus according to the invention allows to perform effectively, in particular by virtue of the presence of the bell, the vacuum packaging of the products with minimal air residues and with extremely short operating times. Moreover, the resulting bag has minimized space occupation and regular geometries.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent ones.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and the dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby abandoning the scope of the protection of the appended claims.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. BO2005A000408 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference. 

1. A bagging apparatus, particularly for granular and/or powdery products, of the type adapted to vacuum-package granular and/or powdery products in bags, comprising at least one compaction chamber for the bag, in which at least one of the walls is movable and is adapted to apply a given pressure to a surface of the bag, so as to expel therefrom contained air and/or gases and compact the product, and at least one bell, which is provided with at least one filter probe, which is connected to air and/or gas suction means and is adapted to produce vacuum inside the bag, said bell being associated with means for bidirectional translational motion from an inactive retracted position to a suction position, in which the bell is at least partially inserted in a mouth of the bag so as to adhere perimetrically to an internal surface thereof, means being further provided for heat-sealing the mouth in a portion arranged in contact with said bell, said means being adapted to provide a final closure of the mouth of the bag along said internal surface, which has remained unsoiled by the product.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising clamping means, which are adapted to make the mouth of the bag adhere hermetically to an external surface of said bell, so as to prevent seepage of the air from the outside and/or escape of the product.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising elements for closing temporarily the bag substantially at a base of the mouth, said elements being adapted to clamp walls of the bag against each other and prevent inflow of air into an already-filled bag and escape of the product during a final heat-sealing step.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bell is arranged at the top of said compaction chamber and is actuated so as to perform a bidirectional translational motion along a substantially vertical direction.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said filter probe is arranged inside said bell and is associated with respective elements for translational motion from an inactive retracted position to a protruding position, in which said filter, with said bell inserted in the mouth of the bag, in contact with the product contained in said bag, so as to remove the air included within the product.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said compaction chamber comprises at least five walls, of which at least one is movable, said walls being substantially flat: a first side wall and a second side wall, which are substantially mutually parallel and flat, a third bottom wall, a fourth upper wall, and a fifth upper wall, which are substantially perpendicular thereto.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least one of said five walls is associated with means for generating a vibration of predefined frequency and amplitude, so as to facilitate compaction of the product inside the bag.
 8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said heat-sealing means comprise at least one pair of mutually opposite heat-sealing heads, which are associated with respective actuation elements and are each actuated so as to perform a translational motion, substantially at right angles to the external surface of said bell, from a respective inactive retracted position to a respective protruding position, in which they are pressed against the external surface of the mouth of the bag, for a time period, so as to provide the hermetic closure of said bag.
 9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said clamping means comprise at least one pair of mutually opposite jaws, which are associated with respective actuation elements and are each actuated so as to perform a translational motion, substantially at right angles to the external surface of said bell, from a respective inactive retracted position to a respective protruding position, in which said actuation elements each press the internal surface of the mouth of the bag against the external surface of the bell.
 10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said temporary closure elements comprise at least one first male element and at least one second female element, which are mutually opposite and are associated. with respective actuation elements and are each actuated so as to perform a translational motion, in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the external surface of said bell, from a respective inactive retracted position to a respective protruding position, in which they engage within each other so as to clamp the base of the mouth of the bag, preventing the escape of the product and the inflow of air during the final heat-sealing step.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bag is of a type with an open mouth.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bag is of a type formed from a continuous reel.
 13. A method for removing gas inside a bag filled with granular and/or powdery product and for heat-sealing the bag without the bag reacquiring air or gas from the outside, so as to obtain a vacuum which is adjustable according to the requirements of the product, performed with the apparatus according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: filling the bag with the granular and/or powdery products to be packaged; inserting said bell in the mouth of the bag for an extent of predetermined length; clamping said jaws against the external surface of said bell so as to make the mouth of the bag adhere hermetically thereto; actuating said movable walls and said vibration generation means so as to achieve the optimum compaction of the product inside the bag and simultaneously the escape of the air and/gases; actuating said air suction means so as to remove it from the inside of the bag; actuating said first male element and said second female element so as to close temporarily the compacted bag at the base of the mouth; releasing said jaws from the mouth of the bag; extracting said bell from the mouth of the bag; actuating said heat-sealing heads so as to close hermetically and permanently the bag in vacuum; releasing said first male element and said second female element.
 14. A package of granular and/or powdery products in a vacuum which is adjustable according to the requirements of said products, comprising at least one bag which, once packaging and hermetic closure have been completed, has an external surface which comprises at least two flat and parallel lateral regular faces, a bottom face and an upper face, which are perpendicular to said lateral faces, said package having predefined dimensions with narrow tolerances and being adapted to be stored and palletized with minimal space occupation and maximum stability. 